LDS Church Leaders Falling for Frauds - LDS Discussions Pt. 73 | Ep. 2153

From Mormon Stories Podcast by Dr. John Dehlin

May 27, 2026 · 2h 9m

About this episode

The episode explores the history of fraud and discernment issues within Mormonism, questioning the credibility of church leaders' claims to divine guidance.

Welcome to Episode 73 in our LDS Discussions series! In this episode, we explore the long history of fraud, forgery, and "discernment" within Mormon history –from Joseph Smith’s treasure digging and the Kinderhook Plates to the Salamander Letter, Paul Dunn, Tim Ballard, and Jodi Hildebrandt. We discuss why people believe extraordinary claims, the role of critical thinking and skepticism, and whether church leaders who claim divine guidance have actually demonstrated the “Gift of Discernment” they preach about. Along the way, we examine the Book of Abraham, the Kinderhook Plates controversy, Mark Hofmann’s forged documents, hidden church history, and modern scandals that continue to raise difficult questions for believers and critics alike. The episode also looks at how faith can remain resilient even after exposure to false claims, and why many argue that institutional dishonesty –rather than belief itself –is the deeper issue. Topics include: Joseph Smith’s treasure digging, the Book of Abraham facsimiles, how Elder Oaks defended the Salamander Letter, and the hiding of early Mormon documents. This discussion asks a central question: If church leaders claim special…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. John Dehlin

Topics covered

fraud in Mormon history
critical thinking
discernment
institutional dishonesty
Mormon documents
faith and skepticism

Keywords

Mormon history
fraud
forgery
discernment
critical thinking
Book of Abraham
Kinderhook Plates
Salamander Letter
institutional dishonesty

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Book of Abraham, Kinderhook Plates, Salamander Letter